Page 27 of Not Faking it with the Colonel

“I understand.” Though he kept his hand on her hip and sure liked the feel of her hand lingering on his chest.

For the first time since the general told him marriage was his chance to keep his position, Graham had hope this could work out. It might not be totally above board, but it also wasn’t fair to relieve him of this command because of the bad conduct of his predecessors. Everyone knew the sayingAll’s fair in love and war. Well, he loved his family and would do everything he could to stay, even fight a little dirty.

Would dating Erin be enough?

ChapterEleven

Inside her car,Erin took several deep breaths. There was a lot to like about Graham. Tall, fit, and handsome, with a great smile. All the elements were there for strong physical attraction. When was the last time a kiss made her heart race so fast that it stole her breath and triggered lustful desires? Too damn long.

Between perimenopause and stress over her crumbling marriage, her sex drive had driven into the dry and dusty desert to die a slow death. Those few kisses with Graham were enough to breathe life back into her libido.

While she had said she wouldn’t sleep with anyone to get her break, and she was at least a decade too old to appeal to the Hollywood producer type anyway, sleeping with Graham could do more than get her access to a team for research. It could be valuable for research of a whole other kind.

And there was more to her attraction to Graham than physical. The freedom to spread her wings and choose her path was better than the cohabitation with Phil for the past few years. Graham engaged in conversation, listened, and remembered what she had told him. It was a nice change, but marriage?Thatwas out of the question.

Could the Army really transfer him because he wasn’t married? From stories she’d heard over the past decade, probably. Clearly, he had loved his wife. It showed in his smile and tone when he mentioned her name. While he wasn’t ready for marriage yet either, with both of his children here, it was understandable he would want to stay enough to make this risky proposition.

She hadn’t been looking to date but wasn’t opposed to it either. Could a dating relationship be enough to ease the concerns of the general and the men under Graham’s command? Graham arranging for her to observe a Special Ops team could be a win-win situation. It seemed too good to be true—which meant it probably was. She’d always been the optimist, and Phil had been the one to plan for worst-case scenarios. This was not a situation to rush into without considering the possible outcomes to Graham’s career.

* * *

Erin reviewedthe growing list of questions she’d started after dinner with Graham two nights ago. One of the questions she’d scribbled down at three in the morning the first night made no sense in the light of day. The question about when she’d spend time with a team was on the list twice—a clear indicator of her interests.

For years, she’d put others before her needs. Phil. The girls. Her students. She was conditioned to that, but her counselor made her see that asking for what she wanted was fine. She had a deadline, and if Graham expected her to wait until he was in the clear before arranging access to observe a team, that would be too late for her.

If she were braver, she would call. Instead, she texted him and asked if he was available to meet. Less than a minute later, her phone rang with his name on the display.

“I was just thinking of you,” he greeted her. “I’d be happy to get together to talk. If you’re free tonight, I can take you to the place that serves the best Pad Thai in town.”

“That sounds wonderful.” And nice not to have to decide since she was on decision overload. “Text me the name and address,” she said before he could offer to pick her up since there was no telling how this dinner would go after their last two. This could well be their last date.

* * *

Graham beather to the restaurant even though she arrived two minutes early this time. He stood in front of the entrance talking on his phone. The smile he gave her as she approached set her nerves aflutter.

“My date’s here. I’ve got to go. I’ll see you Saturday.” He ended the call. “Hi.”

Graham leaned in, placing a hand on her waist and kissing her as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Though it was just one brief kiss, it was a nice way to start the evening. Who was he talking to that he had mentioned a date? At least he hadn’t jumped ahead to refer to her as his girlfriend.

“You could have finished your conversation.” She’d gotten used to Phil taking calls even when they were out for dinner.

“We were done. Colonel Mahinis called to say he found a fourth for golf on Saturday.” Graham opened the restaurant door. “Two for dinner, please,” he said to the hostess who led them to a booth. “Do you play golf?” he asked Erin.

“I don’t think you could call it that.”

Graham chuckled. “Why’s that?”

“I took it as a PE class in college, but unless you count mini-golf, I haven’t picked up a club in twenty years. Even then, I was a fair-weather golfer. Too hot? Pass. Too cold or rainy? Pass.” Phil losing his temper and hurling his club? Hard pass. Maybe she should offer to go along and drive the cart to see how Graham behaved on the course. How competitive was he? “What’s your handicap?”

“Currently, an eleven. I was nine at my best. That was a few years ago. Colonel Lundy is the best player in our usual foursome. I think Mahinis and I have beat him twice in the past year.”

“You still play with him though?”

“I’d rather lose to a better player than beat someone adding strokes to kiss up to a senior officer.”

“What units are your golf buddies with?”

“Lundy is over the aviation unit here at Liberty. Mahinis is over an elite unit that I can’t even get access to. Yang is with Intelligence. Ayers is with the 82ndAirborne and is our usual floater when one of us can’t play.”

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